Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-24

81 shall not wait week; no, not a week.
The idea p Paul Fosdyck exclaimed. "And
you will not be so cruel, then, as to ask me
to-" He stopped still lower and endeavored
to imprint kiss upon her lips. 1t was I'M
wise of him. Her eyes flashed and she
stepped back from him u full pace.
"Mr Fosdyck," she said with show of
anger that he knew was sufficiently genuine
not to be trifled with 'If trying to do that
is sample of your way of keeping your
word-after what you promised mel fear l
have trusted you beyond your worth. l
allowed you one liberty when you pledged
yourself to me, but only on condition that
you would ask no more until you had the
right to do SOL
''There, there; / am ashamed and will not
ever" but there is not space in this nara
tive for an account of the progress and patch
ing of a lovers tiff.
Less than an hour later a strange thing
happened at "The Poplars." One who never
had passoN the portals of the park-a resi-
dent of the prairie-rode boldly in. 1t was
Miriam Evans, seated sidewise on her fathers
saddle and on his horse Just as she had
found it before the door, when she flung her
self from her home and out into the night
again few moments after parting with her
lover. The squaw in the tepee at the gate
ran out and seized the bride of the horse,
but felt herself flung aside as if she had been
pasteboard woman and the maiden on the
horse giantess.
"Who is that?" Mr.. Fosdyck asked, as she
pulled up her horse at the door.
81 wish to see your son, she said.
"Sh-sh-sh," he almost Kissed. "Follow
me-"
He led her horse to the door of building
close by and asked her to dismount and
enter. 1t was sort of workshop, Uttered
with tools and broken agricultural imple-
ments.
You are Miss Miriam Evans" he said.
Excuse me for not inviting you into my
house. l wish to speak with you, but no
woman has ever entered that house and l do
not wish the rule broken. What do you
want with my son?'
The girl had been amazed at his calling her
by name and she was nervous at finding
herself in his presence, but she looked him
in the face fearlessly, though without bold
ness.
81 cannot tell you," she said.
"Miss Evans" said Mr.. Fosdyck, "has
your father discovered your relations with
my son2'
HE has, SIR"
"Then, why are you here? If he has for
hidden you to speak with the boy, or has
shown you that you have displeased him,
why have you not acknowledged your error
and begged his forgiveness and returned to the
life for which alone you were fitted and born.
know you are good girl, because of the
manner in which you repulsed Mr.. Meredith,
the man who attempted to treat you with
disrespect and who offered you future that
would have turned the head of any but
sensible and modest girl
How do you know aught of that scoun-
drel? ' the girl almost gasped, so thoroughly
surprised was she that the one overwhelming
experience of her life the one thing that had
shocked her so that she never had men
toned it to a soul-not even her mother or
! lover-should be known to this man to
whom she had supposed herself unknown.
How did know? Humph! l know a
great DEAL" said Mr.. Fosdyck; ''for in
stance, why did you refuse the offer of the
hand of that honest and industrious young
Swede still later? He offered you a fine
house and an easy life, did he not? You
start! will explain. 1 sent young Mere
dith to you and 1 promised the Swede a
competency if you became his wife. More
than all that, betrayed you to your fathers
church friends, well knowing that they
would not keep the matter long from him.
You suspect now that do not want you to
| continue your acquaintance with my son.
Will you not, then, go back to your home
and forget him? You see how hopeless is
the situation
Strangely enough the mans tone was not
harsh or even unkindly, though l doubt
whether she noticed anything except his
words. Yet he seemed to be trying to simu-
late sternness and with poor success.
"Be wise, my good girl" he continued;
81 will do well by you. I will give you far
more than promised young Swenson, the
| Swede, if you will give up this foolish
Paul! Paul!' screamed the girl, dashing